Domino Effect
by lste
Summary: Sequel to Chain Reaction! Unity returns to her own world and has to deal with the pressing question... was Narnia even real?
1. Chapter 1

Authors note: This is the sequel to "Chain Reaction." If you have not read that story I suggest you do because a lot of what you are reading you will probably not understand. For all the readers of my previous story this one will have a much similar aspect I believe. Although, you will learn much, much more about Unity than you had in the previous story, which I am a bit excited about. And as for the answer to the question that I know you all are wondering; Edmund will be in this story. Eventually. Possibly. Maybe. Okay, I am not going to be mean. He will be in this story. Love you guys, hope you enjoy!

Shout out to KarenClariz13 for coming up with the title! Thanks so much :-)

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

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><p><em>Beep… beep… beep… <em>_**beep.**_

The irritating sound caused me confusion. I went to sit up, as I was lying down on a quite uncomfortable something, and discovered it was a much too difficult task. Furrowing my brows, I attempted to move my hand to feel around the whatever I was resting on and realized that as well was hard to muster. I managed to wiggle my fingers weakly. Instantly I began to panic when I finally processed that something was very, very wrong. Why couldn't I move?

Snapping open my eyes I regretted the action quickly as a bright light enveloped me. I squinted as I adjusted to my new surroundings.

I was not in a forest.

I was not in my friends car driving home from my long night of partying.

I was not in my bed.

I was not at my aunts.

I was not in _Narnia._

I was in a hospital.

Looking down at my body, which I found clothed in a off-white hospital gown, I could see nothing physically wrong with me. I looked to be in one piece… no missing arms or legs. That was good at least. I figured Aslan would have transported me back to the time where I had tripped in the forest. Not here.

Analyzing the room I noted no one else was in here except for me. I was in a single hospital room; quite lavish actually. There was a large window to my left and the blinds were drawn so it didn't let in much light. A long oddly pastel colored couch was across from me roughly around five feet away. There were also various machines surrounding me making odd beeps and swishing sounds.

I noticed one of those little remotes that moved hospital beds up and down dangling on the side of the stuffy white bed. Reaching my hand over I brought it to lay beside me and pressed the up arrow. The entire bed shook and it made an annoying screeching sound as it went up.

Someone must have heard me screwing around with my bed because they opened the door curiously. A woman in pink nurse robes poked her head in and she gave me a wide grin. Just as I was about to say 'hello' she shut the door and walked away. How rude.

Starting to become even more frustrated I let my eyes focus on a table beside my head. I finally noticed the variety of roses, cards, and other random things piled on it. Some of the cards said "Get well" and others said "Wake up soon!" One even said "Have a swell day Grandma." I rolled my eyes at the later of the cards.

The door knob jiggled and a different woman entered dressed in green doctors scrubs with a white lab coat over them. She had a chart in her hand and was checking stuff off not bothering to acknowledge me until she was at my bedside.

"Good morning," she greeted in a thick accent. I am pretty sure it was Russian, but I was bad at accents so who knows.

I frowned, "Hi."

"You are probably wondering why you are here." Duh. "You have been in a coma for about a month and a half."

"How?" my voice came out hoarse. It felt like my throat was scratching itself as I spoke.

"Seems you took a tumble in the forest and knocked your head on a rock," the woman explained. "Or so that is what your friends told us."

I didn't like the way she said that. Like she didn't believe them. Like **I **was some ignorant immature child.

"I remember falling in the forest," I muttered testily. I could recall that much at least from before entering Narnia. The sudden thought of my previous home made my heartache quite a bit. I wonder what Edmund was doing right now. Would he fall in love with some woman from his time? Get married? Have children? Forget me?

She checked my vitals not bothering to converse with me anymore after that. The least she could have done was at least introduce herself. For all I know she could be some nutcase patient who tossed on some doctors scrubs and snuck in my room. I preferred when Susan tended to my sicknesses; even if she over exaggerated and struck me bedridden for weeks.

Before she left the room she turned to me and calmly said, "Your immediate family has been contacted."

Then she left me alone to silently complain to myself about her vile unfriendly attitude. I had forgotten how distasteful people in the real world are. Or Earth…

Wait… I felt my insides tighten as the thought suddenly rushed through my brain. Had Narnia been a dream? Maybe I had been in some dreamlike state and made the experience up. Edmund, Peter, Lucy, Susan, Genesis, Mirach, everyone… I sat quietly in the bed staring down at my pale hands thinking of this thought over and over.

The only reason I ceased my current mind numbing thoughts were because of the door opening. It revealed my Aunt and my cousin Asia cautiously entering the room. The little girl hid somewhat behind her mothers leg as if the boogeyman was hiding under the covers of my bed and not me. Although when she recognized my raised eyebrow she beamed.

"Unity!" The six-year-old darted over to me and I chuckled as she wrapped her arms around my legs as she just leaned on the side of the bed. I patted her burgundy hair affectionately as she blinked up at me. _So, she did have blue eyes… not green like me._

I let my eyes catch sight of my Aunt's tight lipped smile and didn't bother to give her much more thought. I already figured I would be bitched out by the woman eventually.

"I am so glad you are awake," Asia climbed onto the bed. I smiled. Even if the little girl could be a complete spoiled brat at times I know she looked up to me. After all, she had no other siblings to turn to let alone a female adult figure that wasn't demonized. Cough, my aunt, cough.

"I am too…" Well, not really. I honestly would rather be in Narnia sitting on the beach with Edmund's muscular arms wrapped around my waist with his head resting on my shoulder in complete tranquility.

"I phoned your mother."

Shrugging I glanced at the woman's annoyed glare, "Oh."

"She will be here once she's off work," she added with that same snippy tone. I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the woman's attitude. Seriously, I just woke up from a coma. Could at least one person, other than Asia, be nice to me?

"Mommy, mommy gimme the book!"

My aunt dug through her black leather purse and pulled out the familiar book. I wanted to cry. She handed it to Asia and then moved to sit on the couch across from the bed. My aunt took out her own book, some random mystery book, and silently started to read.

"Mommy taught me how to read Narnia to you so that when you woke up I could read it to you!" Asia plopped the worn book open from where I remembered we left off. I didn't want to hear about Narnia right now. I still wanted the world filled with so much magic to be real. It felt so real… it had to be.

How could Narnia not be real? I could remember Edmund's touch like it was only moments ago. And from what I recall, it felt as if only a half hour or so had passed. I literally could feels Aslan's mane running between my fingertips where I had grazed them through only a few seconds before entering the whirl of water.

"We left off here…" Asia's voiced as she pointed to the words on the page. "But where is the fourth?' asked Aslan."

I was thinking the same exact thing…

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><p>Thank you for checking out my story! Leave me some happiness (aka, review) about what you think is to come!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything Narnia related. It belongs to C.S. Lewis and Disney.

Authors note: Sorry for this taking forever to update. I've been really busy! Forgive me?

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

_Dream_

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><p>"If she were my daughter-"<p>

"That's just **it** Mary. She is my daughter not yours."

Oh, burn.

"Debra please," I could hear my aunt's not so pleasant plea to my mother. "You let her get away with way too much."

"Well, what do you propose I do? She's a twenty-one year old woman. I have as much control over her life as I do over the weather."

"I, I don't know. Do something, anything! Her behavior is completely out of the contrary. Going out late at night with friends to these raves and ending up in ditches drunk. She's lucky she wasn't raped."

Becoming now annoyed with the conversation I fell back on my bed and pulled the pillow over my face. I had come back from the hospital two days ago and everything had been a nightmare since. My home life and school.

With school I had missed so many essays, paperwork, reading and tests that it would be a complete waste to return. Luckily, my mom talked to the school after I had been in a comma for two weeks and was able to drop all my classes as well as get most of my money refunded.

A knock sounded from my door and I grunted as a way of telling whomever to come in. The door pushed open, but I left the pillow on my head. Currently, I did not care who it was. I just wanted peace and quiet. If I were in Narnia I would take a stroll through the gardens at a time like this…

"Honey," I felt my mom sit on the edge of my bed. She rubbed my jean covered leg. "How are you feeling?"

Heartbroken. Confused. Angry. Depressed.

Throwing the pillow off my face I tucked it underneath my hair, "All right."

She gave me a disbelieving frown, "You sure?"

No. "I'm dandy woman."

"I am sorry you had to drop out," she shook her head. "Only two more months until the next semester though."

"It's fine. I decided I want to change my major anyway," I informed her. My major before entering Narnia had been somewhat undecided. Although, I didn't want to be a loser and have 'undecided' as my major so I picked English just to fit in with all the others that actually had decided what they wanted to be when they were all grown up.

My mother nodded slowly, "And what do you want it to be now?"

"Philosophy."

"Really?" She looked surprised by my statement. "What happened to English?"

I shrugged, "Not really my thing. Can you imagine me sitting at a desk reading all day. I'd shoot myself."

"You are a bit fidgety," she agreed. I smiled at her. "Do you want to come back home? Or did you want to stay here until school starts again."

That was somewhat of a difficult decision; there were so many pros and cons to go back home. I mean, I would be away from my aunt. Although I am pretty sure being at home would ultimately limit my freedom. Even if my mom knew she had no control over my life she did try to control it most of the time, but she would never let my aunt know how much she failed at it. Plus, I really enjoyed spending time with Asia lately.

"I'm going to stay here."

Once again, my mother seemed surprised, "Okay…"

"Don't worry," I sighed. "I wont be going out anywhere for a long time I think."

Her cell phone chirped an annoying tone and she answered it quickly. It was filled with irritated grunts and mumbled words into the phone. The conversation lasted about five minutes and it seemed pretty one sided so I figured it must be my father. She hung up and gave me a frustrated sigh.

"Your father is on his way home and wants to know if I can cook for him. Can you believe men?" I snorted. If a man called me demanding food I'd give him directions to McDonald's. But my mom, even if she complained, _would_ go home and cook for him. "He also told me to tell you he loves you and he's sorry he hasn't had time to visit since you've been awake. You know how his work schedule is."

"Yep," I popped. His work schedule was all him and no us. Guess that is what happens when you're the boss of a fancy restaurant in the root of Downtown Chicago. I always wondered why he insisted my mother make him dinner when he could always grab a free meal at work…

"I will try and visit sometime this weekend." That meant she wouldn't. She leant forward and gave me a brief hug. "I love you honey, bye."

After my mother shut my bedroom door behind her I decided to check my text messages, which I had been prolonging for quite some time. Ever since waking up from my coma I hadn't found the want to converse with any of my previous friends since Narnia. That is if my Narnian friends were even **real**. Every day that passed it seemed the world was more like a dream and less like a memory. The only thing holding me back from proclaiming it a hallucination from my coma was my heart. Well, not "physically" my heart because that's just a cardiac muscle that pumps blood through the blood vessels…

I received a large number of text messages. Most of them were short get well's and such, but a few were a little more in depth. Mostly from those who had been there with me the night I went into a coma, like Carol.

**Hey babe,**

**I rly miss you.**

**Hopefully u wake up soon so we could hit the dance floors together again.**

**Luv u ho.**

Sorry sweetie, but I have no intentions of going clubbing. No dance floors, no drunken nights at clubs grinding up on random sweaty Pauly D's, and no more stupid college antics.

Deciding I was too lazy and didn't really care to answer I put my phone on my nightstand. Now, I was unsure of what to do. In Narnia, if I were bored, I would go stroll through the castle halls or possibly head over to the library. It was a rare occurrence if I ever had that time to myself though. One of the Pevensie's would always be with me and if not them some creature in the castle probably was.

I hopped up from my bed and moved in front of the mirror. Frowning, I touched the face that felt so foreign to me. I looked different. I seemed to gain a bit of weight compared to before. Had I really been this un-muscular and flabby before entering Narnia?

My hair returned to the short wavy bob, which I now detested. It had grown almost to the middle of my waist in Narnia and had been so lush and beautiful. Now I could see all the chemical process and heat I had used on my hair.

I hated this person staring back at me. This immature twenty-one year old college student from Chicago. The only thing that seemed like me was my emerald eyes. They were dark and filled with so much emotion. I knew I was still there. The girl that went to Narnia had come back with me. And the girl from Illinois was only here in presence.

My bedroom door opened and Asia entered. I saw the Narnia book in her hand, but chose not to think about it much more than that. She skipped into the room and tossed the book on the bed before coming beside me in front of the mirror. The little girl poofed the sides of her hair with a goofy kiss-y face and winked at her reflection.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing?" I laughed as she struck poses.

"Being beautiful!" was her short reply as she spun around and gave herself a peace sign.

"That's not being beautiful," I shook my head. "That's being a Barbie."

Asia looked happier by comment instead of offended, "Thanks!"

Personally I would be completely repulsed if someone compared me to that plastic wench. Hmm, the more I think about it the more Ariela reminded me of Barbie.

"So, what brings you into my lovely adobe?" I sat down on my bed and she followed my actions. She pushed the Narnia book towards me with a dainty smile.

"I thought we finished the book?"

"Prince Caspian!"

I nodded my head, "Oh. All right."

Picking up the book I perched myself at the back of my bed comfortably. Asia laid on her stomach and placed her chin atop her hands as she kicked her feet behind her up in the air. Flipping past the maps, characters, and all that other random stuff I started on the first chapter with a heavy heart.

When I first started reading Narnia to Asia before Narnia it hadn't been that intriguing to me. It was a child's book that I had been forced to recite in order to make my bratty six-year-old cousin shut up. Now it was like looking into my friends lives. Learning about what they have been doing since I left them in Narnia after they returned to their own world.

But the more I read the more I felt like I had been dreaming and made Narnia up. How could something like that be real? Going into a book… Call me pathetic… I still wanted it to be real.

I had no _proof_.

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><p>So, what are your guys thoughts so far? I don't want to spill anything... but I feel like a lot of you guys are going to be disappointed possibly with the way this story will be going. However, I think the way this story is will be hopefully different than other people's stories and I like that. I'm sure not everyone will enjoy how this story will go but I just want to point it out that this is still <strong>my<strong> story. Not that I don't love your guys input, but I just want it to be clear that we probably wont see eye to eye on everything because it's not your story, you know?

Other than that! Leave me a message and we can chat about anything hehe! I was wondering what other fanfictions you guys read? Lately, I've been reading Final Fantasy X-2, Harry Potter, and Narnia ones.


	3. Chapter 3

Authors note: Hey guys! Thanks for waiting and I'm so sorry for how long it took me to get this chapter out _considering_ how short it is. I've got the main idea for this story, but I don't have everything situated so I've been having difficulty figuring that out. Thank you so much for reviewing and I love you all!

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><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

Quote.

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><p>A bright flash brought me awake. I blinked my eyes open in confusion to see my aunt Mary at the edge of my bed holding a camera in front of her face. She 'awed' at the picture she took while the tiny girl beside me groaned angrily at her mother. Looking down at Asia she held Narnia close to her chest as she curled into my side adorably in her sleep.<p>

"Asia sweetie," Mary said in a sickeningly sweet voice. "It is time to get up dear. School time."

The girl grunted in return, "No."

That whipped the smile of my aunts face and replaced it with a glare shot in my direction. Like I had been the one to force those words out of my baby cousins mouth, "I said up!"

"But mom I'm exhilarated!" cried Asia as she curled her hands into tiny fists and pounded them on the sides of her body in anger.

"I think you mean exhausted…" I corrected amused. Asia huffed and gave me a similar glower to my aunt's. All I wanted to do was go to bed. These too needed to be gone or shut the heck up.

"Do not make me count to three," my aunt warned dangerously. It seemed to bring the fear to Asia because she instantly sat up and crawled out of the bed leaving the Narnia book lying beside me. They both left the room and my aunt shut the door behind her rather loudly in my opinion.

I closed my eyes and made to turn in my bed to get more comfortable when my hand hit something. Peeking open one eye I found it was Narnia. I grabbed the book and flipped through the pages until I found where Asia and I had left off in Prince Caspian. We were almost finished with this specific one and had planned to move onto the Dawn Treader afterwards.

I had found out that when they went back to Narnia they returned to the moment right before they entered the wardrobe. It was almost as if a few seconds had passed. Then I learned that in Prince Caspian they came to Narnia on the train because Caspian blew Susan's horn. I actually remember the lion shaped horn from a time Susan had shown me the presents Father Christmas gave them from previous years.

Narnia had been overrun by Telmarines. Over a thousand years had past since we, or they, had left. Mister Tumnus and the Beavers had been mentioned to be dead from Lucy, which in turn meant all of my friends like Genesis was gone as well. The thought made me want to curl up in a ball and cry. I wonder if he ever married that pretty lady centaur…

The more I read the more I decided Narnia must have been a dream. A figment of my sad, sad imagination that only further to make me miserable in this cold cruel world. How could something so amazing fade so quickly? I was rather angry at Aslan. Livid. I wanted to be there.

Slamming the book shut I pushed it away from me so that it was almost falling off the edge of the bed. I hated these mixed feelings. One moment I was telling myself Narnia could never and had never been real and the next I'm cursing Aslan for returning me. Damn it.

My bedroom door opened fast and bounced off the back of the wall. I raised my eyebrows at Asia who stood there with a wicked smirk on her face. She must have thought I had fallen back asleep and was going to torment me with once more waking me up from my peace. Her smile stayed in place as she came to my side of the bed and placed her hand on her hip.

"When I get back home can we read Narnia s'more?"

I nodded, "Yes Asia."

"I'm excited 'cause it's the battle scene! Ugh, I wish mom would let me stay home from school today!" she rolled her beautiful blue bulbs. We both heard my aunt call her name. "Guess that's my quote! Gotta go."

"You mean cue…" she ignored me and slammed the door shut behind her.

With the new silence throughout the house I began to drift off once more. However, it was interrupted _again_ by my cell phone vibrating. Thinking it might be my aunt calling me to tell me about something she forgot to do before leaving the house I reached over and grabbed it.

**You've been out of the hospital for 2 weeks**

**& haven't called me! WTF babe!**

**Answer me asap.**

**Luv & miss u.**

Carol. The two of us were not exactly best friends or anything. We had, had a few classes here and there together. Frequently the two of us would go to parties and clubs together. I hadn't texted her only because I she had not been my main priority, but I figured since she had witnessed my near death experience that put me in a coma for a month I should answer.

**Hey Carol! Sorry I haven't txtd you.**

**Been real busy with getting everything situated since I woke up.**

**I miss you too!**

Throwing my phone down on the bed I sighed. I figured attempting to go back to sleep now would be a complete waste of my time. Soon my phone would vibrate waking me again **and** the sun was out causing the light to brighten up my entire bedroom.

Like I predicted my phone vibrated. As I went to pick it up I felt a nauseating feeling run through my stomach. Pressing my hand against my forehead instead I tried to conquer the overwhelming feeling figuring it would fade. Sometimes when I moved too quickly in the morning just after I woke up I would be dizzy from all the blood rushing to my head. However, it did not fade and the urge to vomit overtook and I hopped from my bed and darted into the bathroom down the hall. I lifted the toilet seat and let my body convulse as it had nothing to empty but what seemed like stomach acids.

As soon as I finished throwing up I brushed my teeth. My skin turned a pasty white and I looked similar to death. Hopefully it was just a quick stomach flu. I hated being sick. The doctor also did inform me I might have some side effects from my coma and to inform her if I started having any. Eh, I'd have to do that later.

I slowly trudged back to my bedroom dreading the fact that I now realized I had nothing to do with my life. I didn't want to hang out with my friends here. All that was here were immature college students who wanted to get crunk and possibly catch some type of genital disease. All I wanted to do was sit around and watch some depressing movie that made me feel slightly better about my pathetic excuse of a life. So, that's what I decided to do.

Picking out _Donnie Darko_, one of the strangest movies I have ever seen, I placed it in my DVD player then crawled under the covers on my quilt. Maybe some ice cream would help? My stomach did feel a bit better. That required me to move though. Sighing, I decided to stay in my bedroom. I had no energy to leave.

… "BOO!"

Startled by the sudden sound I sat up in my bed alert. I blinked wildly searching for what made the alarming sound. _Asia._ The little girl smiled sadistically as she sat on her knees at the foot of my bed.

I ran a hand through my hair, "I swear if you do that again I'm going to hurt you."

"Narnia!" She held the book in her hands and shook it happily in my face. I grabbed it roughly from her hand and dropped it into my lap uncaringly. Reading this damn book was one of the last things I wanted to do at the moment. Being frightened awake had already irritated me; not to mention this book was one of the main reasons my life seemed so much crappier than it had before I went into a coma.

"Go turn off my TV," I nodded my head in the direction of the main menu for Donnie Darko. I hadn't even watched a minute into the movie before I passed out.

The ball of energy quickly darted to the television and shut it off before sprinting back onto the bed and nuzzling into my side. Somehow her affectionate little gesture made me _slightly_ less irritated. It was cute.

Flipping through the pages I came to where we had left off. The Second Battle of Beruna… it reminded me of traveling with my boys and Peter to Ettins to fight the giants. Which resulted in me being in a coma in Narnia.

Frowning, I tried to focus on the book. I attempted to pay attention to myself voice the words as I read of how the River Giant collapsed the bridge and Aslan returned to save the day, as usual in these tales.

I learned that Susan and Peter couldn't return and even though it made me sad I felt somewhat satisfied. Satisfied that not only did I have to suffer with never being able to return to Narnia again, but them as well. It was an extremely selfish thought that I could not rid myself of. When had I become so bitter that I wanted my friends as unhappy as me?

"Are you alright Unity?" Asia interrupted my reading and I blinked at her confused. She bit her bottom lip nervously as she pointed down at the book. "You're holding the book real hard!"

My knuckles were turning white I held it so tight.

I nodded my head, "I'm fine. There's just a few more pages left anyways."

But I wasn't fine. Definitely not mentally. Not emotionally. And if I recall, not physically either.

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><p>Thanks for all the lovely reviews I got for the past two chapters! I'm finally going to get around to reading and answering them all right now :-)<p>

Love your support! Leave me some happiness!


	4. Chapter 4

Authors note: Hey guys! Finally got to an update. If you read my AN in the last chapter I said how I wasn't sure where I was taking this story, but I finally have it all plotted out! Right now it's looking to be about 10 chapters & then it's over. I didn't want the sequel to be long because I felt like it shouldn't be, if that makes sense. Anyways! I'm working on a DEADPOOL fanfiction if any of you guys are interested in comic books. I'm not posting it until I'm finished though... and I think I only wrote till chapter 4 on that one (haha). Also thinking about writing a Legend of Zelda and a Final Fantasy X/X-2 one as well. Those are my obsessions! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

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><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

Lunch.

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><p><em>Ugh.<em> Why am I all sweaty and gross?

Groggily I tossed off the quilt that embraced my body in a steamy inferno. It seemed that not only was it hot under the covers, but my room was as well. I sat up quickly and my head started to throb at the movement.

"Ouch," I grabbed my skull tight twisting my fingers in my short hair frustrated. "I shouldn't have done that."

I looked towards my window and saw the light sun traveling through the blinds. It was too early. Shakily I got up from my bed and traveled towards my doorway. Hearing a sound coming from what seemed like the kitchen downstairs I went in that direction. As I entered the area I could see my aunt sitting at the small table in with some paperwork in her hands, her reading glasses on her beady eyes, and a cup of steaming coffee perched in close reach when she needed a sip.

She looked up at me, "What are you doing up so early?"

"I think I'm sick," I said as I grabbed a glass and filled it with cold water. I gulped the liquid down desperately and it felt like my throat clenched not wanting me to swallow any of it.

"I'll make an appointment for you," was her response. She picked up her blackest of black coffee and sipped it. I cringed and gave her my back deciding to retreat back to my room.

There was no use trying to sleep. I picked up my cell phone, which I had once again neglected, and saw the unread text from Carol.

**I understand bb.**

**Let's hang as soon as you can, k?**

I lid down on my bed with a sigh. Maybe it would be nice to get out of the house and see other people. Being stuck in my room waiting around for Asia while watching depressing chick flicks only left me to contemplate over and over if Narnia was real or not. The thought was just too conflicting.

**I can hang out today if u r not busy?**

It took almost three hours later for her to respond. I had fallen back asleep with my cellular device resting beside my head as I watched some early morning cartoons. The sudden jingle and vibration woke me up and I gripped the little object in my hand.

**Bret & I r gunna come pick u up!**

Thanks for the warning. Coming to the conclusion I should probably get ready I did my normal morning rituals then tugged on a pair of washed out jeans and a black t-tank. I wasn't feeling in the mood to get all dolled up so I didn't bother. Not like it mattered if I didn't have anyone to impress… Edmund never liked when I did my makeup much anyway. Probably because all the makeup in Narnia tended to be clay based.

There those damn thoughts go again. I could just get lost in thoughts of that _place_ for hours. Old memories, thoughts, dreams… Whatever the hell they were. I wanted them to be real.

_Ding, ding._

I picked up my cell with a frown, "Hello."

"Hey! It's so nice to hear your voice again babe!" Carol. "Bret and I are outside! Get your cute butt out here girly."

"Okay."

I already felt like something would go wrong. It was as if a radar was suddenly planted in my brain to go off when danger approached. Carol made the siren go off very loudly.

There was no one in the house when I left. I decided to be courteous and leave my aunt a sticky note on the fridge telling her where I went if she needed to reach me. I smiled as I stared at my scribbled writing. _Peter_. He always wanted me to leave a note…

"Unity!" As soon as I closed my front door behind me Carol had grabbed me into a bone clenching hug. It was quite painful and hurt all areas of my already tender body. "I'm so excited! We have so much to do!"

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow unsurely.

"Christine is having this party tonight, a little get together at Dan's house, and I am in charge of drinks," she winked. That didn't sound good at all. And when did I say I was going? Before I even had a chance to objected she grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards Bret's Jaguar c-x75. It was hard to forget that car.

"Hey sexy," Bret turned his head around as I slid in the back seat. The last time I had been in this car was moments before I went to Narnia. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea going out.

I gave him a slanted grin, "Hey. Nice to see you."

"It's been a long time. Gave us all quite a scare that night," he stated followed by a not so fitting laugh. "You should have seen the blood! Got all over my leather."

I bet he would have been happier with the puke.

"I had to take it in to get professionally cleaned. Was sick as hell man."

Carol punched his shoulder, "Just drive to the nearest liquor store. She doesn't want to hear this shit."

"I was just saying…" he grumbled turned the keys of the car to start the ignition. I rolled my eyes. What have I gotten myself into? Edmund would definitely not approve. He'd be giving me the stink eye while ignoring me for weeks on end.

Now that I think of it… Edmund and I never really spent that much time together. For a majority of my time in Narnia we were so busy arguing with one another over the stupidest things that our actual time together was so limited. Those two months I escaped with Genesis, the weeks where I ran away to go to Ettins with Peter, and those months I had been in a coma. Our time actually being able to love one another in peace was so _short._

"What have you been up to Unity?" Carol's voice interrupted my thoughts. I glanced at her as she played with her makeup in the car mirror.

"Just recuperating."

"I can't imagine what it would be like having a coma. Imagine if you woke up seven years from now instead of two months," she giggled. Was that supposed to be funny?

Bret laughed as well, "That would suck. I mean, there would be all this new technology and shit."

"Or like, jet cars or something," Carol added.

I shook my head. Why did I hang out with these people? Carol reminded me of someone I really hated. I just couldn't place my finger on the name.

"Hey Unity, remember Tom? He wants your number. Is it okay if I give it to him?" Bret waved his phone in front of my face. Was he seriously texting while driving? I'm going to die.

"No," Edmund. I told Edmund I would only be with him that way. I promised. And I wouldn't break that promise unless I knew for sure he wasn't real.

"What are you going to wear to the party tonight?" Carol changed the subject with a grin. She took out her iPhone and showed me the background. It was her in a hot pink mini dress. She kind of looked like a sausage with her fake and bake orange hue and tacky blonde hair.

"I don't think I'm going to go tonight," I answered slowly. I pressed a hand against my stomach as the thought of alcohol made me nauseated. "I'm still pretty sick and I don't want to make it worse."

"Bummer," she frowned. "You're going to miss all the Smirnoff and Svedka!"

I nodded my head uncaringly, "Oh darn."

"You seem really different now," Bret commented as he pulled into the parking lot of some shady looking liquor store. "Like more _sophisticated_ or something."

I shrugged. Trying going into another world completely opposite of your own and come out the same as you went in. _I dare you_.

"I'll be right back you two," Carol hopped out of the car shutting the door hard behind her. This erupted a curse from Bret. I didn't know someone could be so attached to a car. Aslan, I missed Narnia. We cared more about each other than physical objects. I hardly recall being attached to anything other than my friends there.

"Do you think you could drop me off after this? I feel sick," I muttered as I let my hand rest on my forehead.

"Are you going to puke?" He looked about ready to jump out of the car.

"No," I grunted. "Not yet at least."

He sighed, "Sure."

Carol rushed back to the car a moment later carrying two large paper bags. The glass bottles inside clanged together as she slid into the passenger seat. Her square jaw tensed as she struggled to put on her seat belt and that's when the name of who she reminded me of popped into my head. Ariela.

"We are going to drop Unity off at home. She's not feeling good and I don't want her puking in my car."

How pleasant of him.

"But we haven't even done anything yet," Carol pouted. I wanted to say something sarcastic in response, but I had to remind myself that Carol wasn't Ariela. She was more tolerable than that plastic wench.

"Sorry…"

Third wheel explained the car ride to my house. Carol and Bret ranted about how awesome the party tonight would be. Bret even talked about screwing around with some "easy" chick named Jamie. He described her as busty with hot pink hair.

I gave them both a short goodbye and opened the front door. Closing it behind me I exhaled deeply. I can't believe I wasted so much of my time with them.

"You are home early."

I turned to my aunt who entered the hallway, "Yeah. Wasn't feeling well."

"Then I'm assuming you'll be joining us for dinner then?"

No shit. "Yeah."

"Go set yourself up a plate at the table. I didn't think you'd be coming home until later tonight."

Not bothering to say anything to her I headed into the kitchen. I could smell seasoned chicken and other vegetables. I grabbed myself a plate and some silverware and carefully set them on the table in the dinning room beside Asia's usual seat.

"Are you gonna eat with us Unity?" Asia appeared alongside me with a bubbly grin on her cheeky features.

I laughed, "Of course."

"Woo hoo!" She cheered throwing up a fist in the air.

"Foods almost done," my aunt popped her head in the room. "Asia, go get your father please."

"Yes mom," Asia rolled her innocent blue eyes. I smirked at her response to her mothers request. I think I was rubbing off on her. Or she was just starting to realize how much of a nut her mother was.

I sat down in the chair lazily. Today felt like such a long day and I hardly did anything.

"_Unity," his voice was soft yet stern with a hint of annoyance. "Don't touch my food. Please."_

"_Peter… but your food always taste better."_

_He rolled his sea-like eyes, "It taste exactly the same."_

"_How would you know? Have you tried some of my food?"_

"_No."_

_I pushed my plate towards him and he shook his head irritably, but picked up a carrot on my plate. After taking a bite he stared at me unbelievingly, "Taste like a carrot."_

"_Yeah. See, mine taste just like a carrot. Your carrots taste like magic."_

"_You can have my carrots," Edmund pushed his plate towards me and I frowned._

"_No, your carrots just don't match up to Pete's."_

_He scoffed, "And why not?"_

"_Because you're Edmund."_

"I hate when mom makes broccoli. It always taste frozen!" Asia broke me from my daydream with her complaint as she sat in the seat beside me.

"That's because she doesn't know how to cook," I told her softly so that my aunt wouldn't hear. We both shared a giggle. But even if Asia distracted me… my daydream still plagued my thoughts. How could that not be real? I remembered so many little details…

My aunt served the meal and we all sat at the table in silence. It was awkward and unsettling. Almost like the few times at breakfast with the Pevensie's when we were mad or upset.

"_Well, I was thinking of leaving Narnia."_

_Lucy spit out her tea all over my pastel periwinkle dress. I stared down as the liquid seeped through the fabric. Great._

_"What?" bellowed Lucy. She ignored the fact she had soaked me with her tea slash saliva and proceeded to grab hold of my hand tightly. "Please, please do not leave us because you had a little row with Edmund?"_

_I tsk'd, "Lucy that's not why I'm going…" Even if it was, but I'm still in denial that I cannot stand to be in Edmund's presence without my heart filling up with hate due to the fact that he was too damn stubborn to realize everybody makes mistakes (everybody has those days. Everybody knows what, what I'm talking about. Everybody get's that way. Nobody's perfect you live and you learn it again and again till you get it right… and I'm done)._

_"Then what for?" her round eyes filled up with unshed tears that made me pout my lips in annoyance. There's no way Lucy can give you that look and not agree with whatever she has to say._

_"I want to explore…"_

_Peter quipped, "Alone?" I shrugged my shoulders. "By the lions mane, there is no way I will allow you to leave Cair Paravel to explore other lands. You barley know what life outside the walls of Cair Paravel are like! I will lock you in the dungeons if I have to."_

_I narrowed my eyes in infuriation at the golden haired king._

_"Do you think I'm joking?"_

_Hunching my shoulders I picked up another piece of toast from Peter's plate and devoured it within moments. If he was going to enslave me then I'll be damned if I don't eat his food in the process._

_I ate in silence for the rest of the meal. Peter, Susan, and Lucy attempted to talk to me, but I stuck my nose in the air or showed them my tongue whenever they spoke. They were all insufferable today._

"Unity… what's wrong?"

I sobbed into my hand. I hadn't even ate half of my food. I just couldn't take it. I could not sit at this table and pretend I was fine. I missed them. I missed them so bloody much it was making me insane.

Standing up from the table I ran up to my room. I hated this. I hated all of this. I wanted to go back. Oh Aslan… just take me back…

My bedroom door squeaked open. I swear to Aslan if it was my aunt… I don't know what I'd do, but I was definitely not in the mood to deal with her. A small body crawled onto my bed where I had curled up in a ball letting my tears fall onto the soft pillow underneath my hair.

"This is Shmoo," whispered Asia. She showed me a plain stuffed light blue elephant. "When I'm sad Shmoo makes me feel better."

Asia tucked the elephant in my hands and I gave her a watery smile. At least I had **her**. That counted for something. I needed to be here for her. I gave my cousin a tight hug and she patted my back gently.

"Shmoo…"

* * *

><p>Leave me some happiness!<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The Truth

* * *

><p>"Edmund stop it."<p>

Well, someone sounded _happy_.

The man's hot breath hit my neck as he whispered condescendingly, "Or what?"

"Stop being such a wanker."

"Wanker?" he repeated questionably. "Wanker. Who taught you that one?"

Smirking proudly I poked him hard in the chest, "Overheard you call Peter that once."

With a deep laugh he ceased banging his hands on the desk we both sat in front of, which had initially perked my annoyance towards him. We were both reading in the library… or more like hiding from Susan (she really wanted me to go over these color swatches for this dress that I really did not care about). I had picked up a book about Narnian history and immediately engorged with it's intricate detail. Although, Edmund did not really want to read. He had _other_ thoughts on his mind.

A tickling sensation crawled across my thigh as Edmund's slipped a strong slender hand over the fabric of my silk dress. I tried to hide my smirk as he placed an innocent kiss on my temple. Looks like somebody wants some hanky panky!

"What is so interesting about that book that it has all your attention?" Edmund muttered as he removed the hand from my thigh, sadly, to turn the book closer to him. His chocolate eyes scanned the page dully.

"It is about the ancient history," I flipped it to the cover of the book and he gave a sarcastic 'oh' face in response.

"Who is going to write you guys in here?"

"And you," he added with a grin as his hand returned to my thigh.

"Me?" I looked down at the book confusedly. Why would they write me into Narnian history? It's not like I did anything significant while I was here. I hadn't even battled much in the Ettins war.

"As my queen," Edmund placed his hand on my cheek to turn my face in his direction.

I laughed, "Hmm… Queen Unity of Narnia the… What should my title be?"

"Stubborn, disastrous, annoying… any of those should work."

"Hush up," I shoved his arm gently and he gave me a breathtaking dimpled smile.

"How about Queen Unity the Sincere."

"That sounds so cheesy."

"I like it," he smiled broadly. "And I love you."

Biting my lip I shuddered at his words. This boy was driving me crazy, "I love you too."

Edmund began to lean forward to give me a kiss to make the already corny moment even better. My emerald eyes fluttered closed in anticipation to feel all his love for me in a simple, yet complex, kiss. Just one action could mean so much.

But.. It never happened.

My eyes snapped open in alarm at Edmund's confused cry. His eyebrows were furrowed and his mouth a gap as he stared at me worried. I looked down at my hands to see them translucent. I reached out to hold onto him and my hand went straight through his chest. No, Aslan no. What was happening?

I tried to scream and no sound escaped my parted lips. It seemed as if darkness was surrounding me. I watched unable to do anything as Edmund desperately attempted to hold onto me.

Then… emptiness.

Prying my eyes open I stared at the blackness of my bedroom. What a terrible dream.

Realization crept up on me quickly when I took in that I was alone. Not just in my room, but in general. Alone. A light blue cushion caught my eye and I picked up the little stuffed elephant Shmoo Asia left me the day before. I held him against my chest tightly as I tried to shake off the feelings of my nightmare. At least I had Shmoo.

This is where I had trouble distinguishing Narnia from my dreams and reality. Narnia felt more concrete; like memories. While my dreams felt airy. Fake. They faded too fast. I can still taste Peter's toast on my tongue…

I reached over to turn on the lamp that rested on my nightstand. My eyes caught the most recent Narnia novel Horse and His Boy. My hand paused as I subconsciously went for the book. Giving in I snatched it and flipped it open to the first page.

_The light was too bad now for Shasta to see much of the cat except that it was big and very solemn. It looked as if it might have lived for long, long years among the Tombs, alone. Its eyes made you think it knew secrets it would not tell._

_"Puss, puss," said Shasta. "I suppose you're not a talking cat."_

_The cat stared at him harder than ever. Then it started walking away, and of course Shasta followed it. It led him right through the tombs and out on the desert side of them. There it sat down bolt upright with its tail curled round its feet and its face set towards the desert and towards Narnia and the North, as still as if it were watching for some enemy._

Slamming the book shut in frustration I curled my fingers around the hardcover. IT had to be a dream. If I had really been there it would have me mentioned in Ettins with Peter _at least_. I like to think I had been a crucial character in Narnia. _If it were real_.

Besides, I knew many Narnian's. My name also would have probably been brought up between conversation with Edmund and Susan since I had randomly decided to abandon them at some point. Right?

The bedroom door opened and my aunt stood dressed in her nursing smock. She gave me an annoyed glare when she scanned my sleeping attire, "Did you forget?"

I raised an eyebrow, "Forget what?"

"Your doctor appointment."

"Oh," I frowned. I hadn't realized she made me appointment. Maybe if she would have **informed** me instead of assuming I would just magically know; as I know was starting to believe magic couldn't really exist like it did in Narnia. "Give me a minute to change."

I sat alone in the cold awkward room at the hospital clinic. My aunt was sitting in the waiting room probably reading some magazine about fabric patterns until I finished my tests. Growing extremely irritated I laid down on the paper covered bed. It had been almost a half-hour after the nurse had weighed and asked me a few questions and that damn woman still wasn't here to give me a test.

The door opened and my eyes narrowed as the same doctor whom had taken "care" of me while I had been in a coma. Funny thing, I do not recall her ever telling me her name. All I remember was her thick Russian accent.

"Nice to see you again Unity." Nice to see me again? I think what she meant to say was _nice to see your money in my pocket. _"So, tell me, what has been going on?"

"Vomiting, nausea, headaches," I shrugged. "You know, all that fun stuff."

She pursed her lips thoughtfully, "I'm going to do some blood work and a urine sample."

"Okay."

"Follow me."

…

Once again, after my blood work and urine sample I was sitting in the cold lonely room. But I couldn't feel the cold. I couldn't process the fact that my hair was standing on end. I didn't even notice that one of the lights were flickering.

My doctor stood before me with a frown as she refused to make eye contact. I almost laughed at what she said, but couldn't find the humor in the situation.

"What?" I asked dully. _It wasn't possible._ "Can you please repeat that? I think you might need to check on my hearing while I'm here."

She sighed, "You're pregnant."

* * *

><p>That little snit bit with Shasta was from Horse &amp; His Boy by C.S. Lewis in the Narnia series. IN NO WAY DO I OWN THOSE WORDS. Don't sue me!<p>

Anyways, feel free to yell at me for not updating in like... forever... but I've had some crap to deal with!


	6. Chapter 6

Authors note: As most of you have noticed... it has been a couple years since I've updated. That is a long time to not update a chapter. The reason why, all honesty, lost the ambition I had for this story. Therefore, I'm going to attempt and finish this story within two more chapters after this. For those of you who are upset by this, sorry. I just have been through a lot in the past years. Plus, I have fresher story ideas!

I truly am sorry for not updating when I should have, but like I said I've been through a lot. This last year was just awful.

For those of you who wanted a longer sequel; my bad! But like I said before it was only going to be about 10 chapters anyway. The point is: it shall be completed! And for those that do not like the direction of my story and are very upset about the turn I have taken with it... you can always write your own story with an ending you prefer! Not that I don't appreciate your opinions because I very much do beg for them sometimes, but Chain Reaction was such a dedication of my own time that this story is like my stories baby.

Anyways. Enjoy the following chapter to the best of your ability. Sorry for the long wait. As soon as I post this I'm starting on the next chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

Cheese

* * *

><p>The cold gel was squeezed out of the tube onto my lower stomach and I shivered at the sudden temperature change. As the little device was pressed against my bare skin. A fuzzy picture pulled up onto the screen and I could make out a gray mass. Squirming impatiently I waited for the doctor to say something, anything to help me understand. I was a virgin. At least logically.<p>

Her eyes found mine worriedly. "This does not make sense."

"Excuse me?" I scowled at the Russian woman.

_No one _wants to hear their doctor say that.

"You are four weeks into your pregnancy." She motioned to the gray mass. "You see this mass. That is the embryo."

"That gray thing right there-" I pointed at the screen unbelievingly. "-is a baby?"

"Unity, what does not seem to add up is at the time you would have conceived the child… you were in a coma at that time."

Could it be true? My heart raced and I hardly heard what the woman said. All I thought about was that baby could be Edmund's.

"I think it would be reasonable if you submitted yourself to a rape examination. It is only plausible that someone had done this without your consent." It was the first time she had ever given me a look other than that of me being a dumb young adult. She appeared sympathetic. But I was far from upset.

Of all the wonders in the world; I was granted the gift to give life. And not just any life. That amazing man who had sept me off my rocky feet and helped show me what life had to offer. Even worlds apart he still managed to reach me. In my dreams, in my thoughts, and now inside of my womb.

"No, that won't be necessary."

I didn't dare think of the possibility of rape. It was Edmund's. I just knew.

"Unity." A firm hand squeezed my shoulder. Looking into the doctors once cold eyes I smiled unsurely. Sure, she might think I'm crazy. Or in denial, but I didn't care. Maybe I was? Personally I had no intentions of finding out. "I will call you with your test results as soon as they come in."

The car ride home was tense, at least on my part. I lied to my aunt. If she found out the truth shit would hit the fan. I was not even sure what to think right now; I did not need my family involved.

"I'm cooking lemon chicken for dinner. Think you will be up for eating tonight? Or should I pick up some soup?"

"Soup." The thought of lemon chicken was way more appetizing then chicken noodle soup, but I needed to keep up the stomach flu façade.

As we rolled up closer to our home I noted a figure huddled on the front porch steps. My aunt frowned at the body as she pulled into the driveway. The person stood and a smile broke out on my face. Short messy hair, pale ivory skin, and glowing hazel eyes. Man, were they a site for sore eyes.

"Madison!" Unbuckling myself I hopped out of the parked car bolting towards the taller, thinner female. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders and I felt a sudden sense of relief. A sensation I haven't felt since I returned from Narnia.

"You have this uncanny ability to show up at the perfect times," I whispered into her ear carefully before pulling away to beam up at her.

She grinned. "I know."

"But let's wait for the Wicked Witch to peace out."

"Oh hello Madison." My aunt politely greeted. "Nice to see you. Although, you came at a terrible time. Unity has come down with the stomach flu."

"Oh really?" Madison pouted. "Guess I'll just have to keep you company in bed."

That's what she said.

"Well I'm going to get out of these scrubs and start dinner. Rest up dear."

As soon as the front door shut behind my aunt I exhaled loudly. I felt like I had been holding it the entire car ride.

"That woman sure knows how to put on a show."

I nodded. "She's a great host."

"So you really sick?"

Fidgeting my feet, I debated telling her right there. About everything. The drunken night, Narnia, Edmund, and the baby. "Somewhat…"

"How about we go inside and you explain why in the hell you didn't call me as soon as you woke up." Madison lightly shoved me in the direction of the door. I winced. She should have been the one friend I actually contacted. To think, being in Narnia made me forget about almost everyone in this life.

I glanced at the Narnia book on my nightstand as soon as we entered the room. My eyes always found it the moment I walked in there. Like a curse.

Madison plopped on my bed. I eyed the adorable pixie cut. "Nice hair."

"Yeah. Jack said he thought I should cut it."

Jack was Madison's longtime boyfriend. Both of them lived together in an apartment in Northern Wisconsin. It was several hour ride, which is why Madison was never around much anymore. She had been my best friend throughout all of high school. But things with Jack and her ended up heating up so she started going to school out there.

"He has an eye for those things," I said.

A frown formed on her thin lips, "Stop beating around the bush. Tell me whatever is on your mind. I can seat in your face."

I ran a hand through my hair. "I don't even know where to begin."

"Just go with whatever is the first thing that pops into your head." She patted the bed and we both sprawled across it. I cradled Shmoo against my chest.

"Pink promise you will believe what I tell you and not think I'm crazy?" I held out my smallest finger. She wrapped her own around it and kissed mine to make it sealed. "I went to Narnia."

She licked her lips. "Narnia?"

"Yep."

"Huh…" Her eyes found my book. "As in you read the book and became so interested that you like _went_ to Narnia?"

"No. Like I was in Narnia."  
>"Like as in some really good drugs?"<p>

I wouldn't meet her eyes. "No. Narnia."

"Through the wardrobe?" I could hear her trying to reason with me in her voice. She thought I was going crazy.

"Can you please just accept this and believe me?" I begged her. She nodded her head. "I went to Narnia and fell in love with King Edmund."

"The snobby one that sold his family for Turkish Delight?"

"He's not snobby. Just _misunderstood_."

Madison chuckled. "I don't think being misunderstood justifies you to sell your family out for some sweets."

"He made up for it. Aslan said so."

"I'm not trying to judge you…" She forced me to meet her stare. "But is this some kind of cry for help?"  
>"No. I don't want help. I want to go back."<p>

Silence followed. Madison knew me. She knew me well enough that the next time I met her gaze I had convinced her. She believed me.

"How?"

"When I fell through the forest… I'm still not so sure."

I wish I could go back. Maybe it was a tree… like how the Wardrobe was made out of the tree. The one the Professor had grown by accident from the apple. I could go back somehow.

"I have proof that it's true."

Madison sat up excitedly. "Show me!"

"It's not something I can really show you yet," I hugged Shmoo closer. "I'm pregnant."

"You're _what_?"

Madison and I stilled.

The door swung open. Asia bundled into the room with wide blue eyes. A look of fascination crossed her features as she made her way to the edge of the bed.

"Does that make me an aunt like my mommy is to you?"

I scrambled. Grabbing onto Asia's shoulders I looked her directly in the eyes. "Asia, you can't tell anyone what you just heard. Okay?"

She placed her hands on her hips. "Why not?"  
>"Because if you do I'll be in huge, huge trouble. Especially with your mom."<p>

Asia shrugged. "Mommy already knows. She just got off the phone with that lady at the hospital."

_Fear._ I don't think I had this much fear even when facing the giants.

"Madison." My friend was up on her feet. "There's a suitcase in the closet. Start packing my things."

I left my bedroom with Asia hot on my tail. We both sprinted into the kitchen. My aunt's hands held onto the countertop tightly, her knuckles turning white.

She did not turn to look at either of us. "The flu?"

"I thought all my information was confidential…" I bit my lip.

"I told them I was you."

I scoffed. "Of course."

"I phoned your mother."

Asia peered up at me carefully. Her eyes were wide with worry. "Mommy I thought babies were a good thing."

"They are sweetie. Go to your room, now."

Unity held her aunt's hard stare. There was no way she was going to make her feel ashamed, dirty.

"You're just like your mother. Young, stupid, filthy. Why do you think she got stuck with your father?" She sighed as if she felt _sorry _for me. "I thought bringing you here. Letting you stay in **my** home might change you. Mother like daughter…"

"There's a difference between my mother and I."

The woman chortled. "Oh, really? And what might that be?"

"I'm not going to let you walk all over me. I'm not going to let you talk to me this way. You are the most two-faced woman I have ever met in my entire life," I seethed. I saw red again. Like the times Edmund was with Ariela. Somehow the reaction seemed more rational this time around. "Thank you for letting me stay under your roof. I appreciate it, but I think it is time for us to part ways."

My aunt grinned, "I have to agree."

I shook my head. It was sad living with someone with such bitter human emotions.

When I entered my room Madison sat on my bed with Asia. The young girl latched herself around my waist. "I didn't mean to get you in trouble. I should have told you that my mommy was listening."

"It's okay. She had to find out somehow."

"Please don't leave," Asia burst into tears. Bending my knees I became eye-level with the tiny figure. Her crystal eyes were red and puffy as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I promise I'll behave and not make you read Narnia to me anymore."

My heart clenched. "Oh no, no, no. Asia. Reading Narnia to you were the best parts of my day."

"Then why are you leaving?"

"Because sometimes people need to leave to become better than who they are."

"Are you going to come back when you're better?"

I sniffled. The girl was making me tear up. "Asia. Promise me that you'll always be as amazing as you are right now."

"I promise," she said through her sobs.

I kissed the top of her head. "Then I promise I'll come back when all is right. I'll take you out for ice cream."

Then Madison and I shoved as many of my belongs as I could into her car and we drove off into the home of cheese.

* * *

><p>As I said... getting started on that next chapter ASAP so I don't fail you all again.<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Authors note: the passages in this chapter are from C.S. Lewis's the Magician's Nephew. Do not own them. Do not claim those words are mine. Just quotes.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven<br>**

Apples

* * *

><p>"… I don't know what to do with her anymore. It's like she's not even here."<p>

"Should we try calling her parents?"

_Sigh._ "No, that'd be pointless."

"The babies due in a couple months…"

Clenching my eyes tightly, I attempted to block out the worried voices. The concern seeping through them. Each word petrified me. It was a constant reminder of what was to come and what was left behind.

"I know."

Footsteps crept towards her bedroom. She heard the door handle jiggle before Madison opened the door. A smile was on her face, but it did not reach her eyes.

"Hey."

I forced a smile of my own. "Hi."

Her eyes scanned me. Curled up on my side on the bed, hand resting on my very pregnant belly, and the silence of my room. No television, no radio, no book… just me staring off into space.

"What are you thinking about?" Madison shut the door behind her. She lay down alongside me with enough space that our breaths hardly hit one another.

I met her hazel eyes. "Nothing really."

That was a lie. So much was on my mind, but she wouldn't understand. Even if she believed me; she would never know the pain I felt that I'd never physically be able to return to Edmund. That this child growing inside of me would never know its father.

Madison poked my belly softly. "Two months."

I grinned.

"I wish you would tell us if it's a boy or girl."

"I don't even know what it is," I muttered. I had wanted it to be a surprise.

Madison put her hand on my stomach. She felt the baby kick and she smiled. However, it slowly faded. "I'm worried about you."

"I know…" I bit the inside of my cheek. "I'm worried about myself."

"I don't know what you're going through. But you need to get through this for that baby," she said. Sitting up on the bed, she fixed her matted hair. "Jack and I have work. I'll see you tonight."

When I heard the front door to Jack and Madison's apartment close I decided to get up. Having I large pregnant stomach was not easy _I guarantee _anyone that.

I ventured around the apartment carefully. It was somewhat of a mess. There were empty plates and glasses scattered about, papers lying everywhere, and crumbled up garbage. Feeling guilty for crashing at my friend's home for the past seven months; I began to clean.

My task ended when I went to put a few papers on a bookshelf in Madison's living area. I stared longingly at a thick black paperback book. Shakily, I grabbed it and dusted off the cover.

_The Chronicles of Narnia._

How long had I been in the apartment and I did not realize this was here? I had definitely been living in a shell.

Scanning the contents I noted that it was a giant book. It had all the stories written by C.S. Lewis packed into one. Looking down at my overly plump belly, I smiled.

Resting under the covers of my bed I placed my hand on my stomach. "Okay Baby. I'm going to read you the most amazing stories in the world. And they are all true."

"_This is a story about something that happened long ago when your grandfather was a child. It is a very important story because it shows how all the comings and goings between our own world and the land of Narnia first began."_

Every word I spoke aloud. When this child grew up it would be raised to believe Narnia was real. Well, maybe not… it might seem a bit crazy when he says his father is really King Edmund.

When Madison had returned home I only had a few chapters left of _The Magician's Nephew_. I slid the heavy book under the pillow. I wasn't sure Madison would be too happy with me reading Narnia. She thought the idea was making me sick.

"Unity, we're home!"

Entering the living room I smiled at the surprised look on Jack and Madison's faces. It was much tidier than when they had left that morning. I even did the dishes.

"You cleaned?" Jack asked. "That was really nice of you."

I shrugged. "No problem."

"We brought home pizza." Madison motioned to the Pizza Hut box on the counter. "Want to eat and watch Netflix?"

"Sounds like a plan."

Jack grinned happily. "Good! I'm glad you're going to come out of that room. It's so small."

"Like a box," added Madison. She shared a look with Jack. It was the look she always gave him when the question 'where are we going to fit a baby?' came up.

"It did used to be your study," I said with a chuckle. Going into the kitchen I grabbed three plates and handed them out. Thankfully, Madison didn't start an argument about where we were going to stick the kid. _This_ time.

I had thought about the idea constantly. It was never ending. I debated leaving, but I had no money. I had no home. I had no family. I had Jack and Madison… they were supposed to be starting their future together. Not harboring Madison's loony pregnant best friend who thinks she was knocked up by King Edmund from Narnia.

Half-way through the movie I gave up. It was about some young teen girl getting raped and beaten by the neighbors in her town. Madison and Jack shouted out goodnights as I locked myself in the bedroom.

Turning off all the lights except the dull floor lamp beside my bed, I pulled out Narnia. A soft laughter filled me as I read one of the passages in the book:

_"The brightness of the Apple threw strange lights on the ceiling. Nothing else was worth looking at: you couldn't look at anything else. And the smell of the Apple of Youth was as if there was a window in the room that opened on Heaven."_

I recalled the night she stumbled through the forest. Waking up to the sound of Genesis's footsteps. Him looking at me like I was crazed and then bringing me back to his village. Mena then served me a Narnian apple; a taste that nothing on earth could give.

It made me wonder if C.S. Lewis had been to Narnia. Or a family member of his. How in the world would he know that the apple's tasted beautiful? There was no other way. Maybe he would somehow reveal himself in the other books.

That night I drifted off to sleep mid-way through the _Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe._ I dreamt of Edmund and his unjust ways. How much he had changed since I met him… the love he shared with me. His kisses. His touch. His happiness. His smile. The way his hair was always a mess. I dreamt of being in his arms once more.


End file.
